Lets all think about Eric Hurley one time

The Angels, like every team, are always signing minor league free agents. Minor league free agency is like an animated movie about anthropomorphized insects, and trust me, this metaphor isn't going to get any better when I explain it: There's a big system of characters moving around industriously, getting things done, being sort of sad but also uplifting, and largely unseen and irrelevant to the world above ground. Since the 2010 offseason, the Angels have signed Cory Aldridge, Nick Gournealt, Juan Mateo, Michael Ryan, Bobby Korecky, Daniel Davidson, Jeremy Hill, Daniel Cabrera, Eric Junge, Drew Meyer, Luis Figueroa, Charlton Jimerson, Ryan Vogelsong, Paul McAnulty, the other Ryan Braun, Gil Velazquez, Kevin Richardson, Kevin Melillo, Virgil Vazquez and Jeff Baisley as minor league free agents. On average, those players were 31 years old when they signed, and as a group they pitched a total of 0 innings and had a total of 72 plate appearances in the past two years for the Angels. Mostly, they filled out the Triple-A and Double-A rosters, and got older.

The Angels recently signed Eric Hurley to a minor league contract. While debating whether to spend time telling you about Eric Hurley, I considered whether Eric Hurley is notably different than Eric Junge, and whether Eric Hurley is likely to contribute to the Angels at the major league level. To the second question, probably not. He's perhaps ninth or 10th on the depth chart as a starter. To the first question, yes. Eric Junge turns 35 on Thursday. Eric Hurley is only 26. Eric Hurley is three months older than Mark Trumbo. And Eric Hurley used to be famous. It is a bit interesting that the Angels signed Eric Hurley.

Hurley was the Rangers' first-round pick in 2004. He struck out a batter per inning and had a 3.77 ERA in his full-season debut, as a 19-year-old. He had a good fastball, an OK slider and a poor changeup. "As with all 19 year-olds whose career is throwing a baseball in the low- to mid-90s, the potential for injury is the elephant in the room," Baseball Prospectus wrote before 2006. (That is foreshadowing to the rest of this piece. The fact that he was just signed to a minor league deal by the Angels is also foreshadowing.)

Hurley made Baseball America's top 100 twice. Back in 2007, the Rangers reportedly refused to give Hurley up for Carlos Gonzalez. The Pirates wanted him in a trade for Jason Bay, but the Rangers wouldn't do that either. He made his debut in 2008, when he was just 22. And that was it. This is the second-to-last batter he ever faced in the majors, back in July 2008:

The Rangers put him on the DL with shoulder inflammation that summer, and he didn't pitch again until 2011. He had rotator cuff surgery in 2009, and wrist surgery in 2010. He returned in 2011 and was hit in the head by a comebacker in April. It fractured his skull and he missed two months. He otherwise wasn't very good in 2011, with both a high ERA (5.55 in the PCL) and awful peripheral stats. He struck out 4.9 batters per nine innings; he had never had a season below 7 per 9. He walked 3.8 batters per nine, which was a career high. His fastball velocity gradually got better, according to reports, but it was still a few mph below his prospect days.

On the other hand, Scott Servais was the Rangers' director of player development with Texas, so he knew a lot about Eric Hurley. He's with the Angels now, so we might presume he had a say in this, and we might presume he still likes something about Hurley. Back in July, Servais sort of said Hurley was ready to turn a corner.

"Right when it seems like he's ready to turn a corner, he has another setback," Rangers director of player development Scott Servais said. "But hopefully he's there now. If he makes all of his starts the rest of the season and performs, I see no reason why he couldn't help our big-league club at some point this season."

As you probably know, during the season I write up Angels highlights from each day's minor league action. When Eric Junge pitches a great game, I don't usually bother including it. Eric Junge is in the system to pitch Triple-A innings, and even if he pitches a lot of them well, there's very little chance he'll end up in the Angels' actual rotation. Eric Hurley has been signed to pitch Triple-A innings, but if he pitches a great game, I'll probably mention it. It's unlikely he's got anything left. But he's 26. And he used to be famous. And now he's on the Angels, and you're rooting for him.

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